The light rail station at 12th and I streets closed Monday for renovation work and will reopen Sept. 7. The most noticeable improvement will be the installation of an elevated ramp to replace the old wheelchair lift, making access to the train for people in wheelchairs much more efficient and quicker, said Alane Masui, spokeswoman for Sacramento Regional Transit. “This is a major improvement for this station,” she said. Other improvements include repainting, new seating and redone landscaping, Masui said. Light rail users questioned Tuesday were in favor of the improvements. “It’s hard for me to climb up the steps onto the train,” said Danny Frias, who walks with a cane and rides lig

Dozens of bus routes in the Sacramento region will vanish and light rail will slow down on the weekends as a result of sweeping Regional Transit budget cuts. The agency’s board of directors slashed bus, light rail and paratransit service Monday night to resolve a $10.6 million deficit. One of the major budget fixes scales back night service seven days per week. The RT board decided that light rail, bus and paratransit trips that now begin after 9 p.m. will cease. Public transportation will also be slower on weekends. Right now, light rail picks up passengers in 15-minute cycles during the weekend. The cuts mean that riders can catch the light rail every 30 minutes on weekends, explained

The expert on the state's transit industry and financing, Joshua Shaw of Shaw/Yoder, Inc. will be the featured speaker at the State of RT Breakfast, Friday, March 19. Shaw is executive director of the California Transit Association. Mike Wiley, RT General Manager/CEO, will also address the transit service priorities of the Sacramento region. This breakfast event will focus on TransitAction, RT’s new transit vision that will shape the future of transportation over the next 25 years. The event, hosted by the Sacramento Metro Chamber and the Sacramento Regional Transit District, also includes the annual TransitAction awards, given to organizations and individuals promoting public transit.

Helping to save $20 million in local federal stimulus money, the state of California on Thursday ponied up $31 million in Prop. 1B funding for projects connected to Sacramento's future regional transportation center. The Sacramento Area Council of Governments and the city of Sacramento told the California Transportation Commission this week that the city would lose the federal stimulus funds unless the agency paid out the Prop. 1B money as promised, said Erik Johnson, SACOG spokesman. The bulk of the $31 million will be used for a $60 million railroad track relocation, the first phase of the train station and public transit center being built in the 244-acre historic railyards adjacent t

In researching light rail station crimes, it's been difficult to find a conclusive study regarding overall safety. There appear to be several isolated incidents that could easily cause uneasiness about riding the light rail. It should be noted that the majority of these incidents took place at the light rail stations rather than on the trains themselves. Toward the end of November, a woman was robbed at gunpoint  at a light rail station between Folsom Blvd and 65th Street. A little over a month ago, 28-year-old Ricky Bufford was shot while sitting in his car at the Watt Avenue light-rail station, Sgt. Tim Curran reports to the Sacramento Bee. An entry on Sacramento Bee's Crime Blog dat